The Progression of Them
by stilllookingforsomething
Summary: Aaron knew when he met Emily that she could become everything he lived for. They slowly but surely progress from more than just coworkers... Please R&R!
1. Prologue

Aaron Hotchner knew that love at first sight did not exist.

The simple truth was, falling in love took time; sharing memories, learning facts, and developing chemistry all contributed to the building of a relationship.

Aaron had learned that lesson with Haley during high school; their dates were at first a casual fling, but soon enough became a rock that he could cling to in order to escape his abusive home.

He had never thought that his feelings with Haley would change; he was a commitment guy, determined to outshine his father's many misdoings by being the best husband and father possible. However, considering his constant absences for work, his marriage eventually fell apart. He still loved Haley at the end, but the truth was that they could no longer make it work. They had been barely holding on even when Jack was born and his cases at the BAU began taking more and more of his time.

Regardless of his disbelief in fairy tale romances, he was sure that an emotional connection could be felt upon meeting someone.

So when he met Emily Prentiss, years after working for her mother, he knew that she was something special.


	2. Their First Meeting

CHAPTER 2

(Hotch's POV)

Hotch worked steadily at his desk, filling out paperwork. Elle had left a few months before, and rather than give more assignments to the rest of the team, he had been doing extra. He had interviewed almost a dozen people to fill Elle's place, but none of them fit in well with the team. Some were arrogant, others were incompetent, and still others seemed a little too interested in psychopaths to make a career of hunting them down.

Hotch sighed.

Things were noticeably tense with Haley. Every time Hotch came home at four in the morning only to leave again an hour later for yet another case, Haley seemed to drift farther away. At the dinner table, they had less and less to talk about.

Someone knocked at his door, interrupting his thoughts. "Come in," he said.

"Agent Hotchner?" Hotch looked up to see a beautiful woman: shiny, dark hair; large dark eyes; smooth, ivory skin.

Hotch found himself unusually at a loss for words. Recovering quickly, Hotch shook hands with her as she introduced herself as Emily Prentiss. He found himself so captivated by her smile that he released her hand a second too late.

They made awkward small talk. He realized that he had done security work for her mother, an ambassador. He asked how her parents were doing. Finally, the chat died down, and with disorganized thoughts floating around his head, Hotch finally asked what he could do for her.

Looking confused, Emily said hesitantly that she needed to know where to put her stuff; Hotch could feel his face change from welcoming to closed-off. Strauss.

His boss Erin Strauss was both controlling and ultra-paranoid. She had repeatedly suggested her hand-picked candidates for the open job; as Hotch had quickly rejected all of them, she had apparently taken matters into her own hands. Hotch felt a twinge of regret as he told Emily that he had not approved a transfer and left the room despite her confused protests.

Hotch confirmed his suspicions by asking Gideon about the transfer; he listened to Gideon's nonplussed response as he walked to the conference room. Hotch snuck a glance behind him before shutting the door; Emily was standing there, staring after him, with her box of belongings at her feet. Hotch felt guilty for shutting her hopes down completely, but he knew Strauss well enough to know that she would exploit any weakness of his to spy on his business.

However, all throughout the meeting, Hotch's thoughts kept straying back to a certain dark-haired woman.

Four long days later, Hotch walked through the dark bullpen, exhausted from the grueling case. Haley had called him on the plane and chewed him out again for leaving so suddenly; she had had to cancel plans with a friend because no one could watch Jack. Hotch just sat there and listened, biting his tongue at Haley's petty concerns. He understood her anger, he really did, but how could she yell at him for trying to save the lives of other people? Hotch didn't consider himself to be a selfless person, but it wasn't like his travel was a fun vacation; he had to go look at mutilated bodies of children, hear serial killers tell him all of their twisted desires, had to hear again and again, "We've got another body." Every time he heard those words, he felt like the police were bitterly glancing at him, thinking, "This is your fault. You didn't save her. You killed this child."

He was surprised to see Emily stand up when he walked in his office. "Please tell me you haven't been there for the last four days," he said wearily.

She began talking fast, barely letting him get in a word edgewise, trying to explain what she'd profiled about an open case. Hotch was impressed by her astute observations but kept his face impassive; he didn't want to have to constantly worry about Strauss's mole.

She finally finished making her case, saying, "I belong on this team." They stared at each other. Although there was pleading in her doe-like eyes, Hotch also saw a glimmer of hard determination that he had not expected.

As their eyes stayed locked, he suddenly remembered her soft her hand was in his during their handshake. Mentally kicking himself for losing his professionalism, he finally succumbed to her pleas.

"We brief new cases at nine."

"You won't be sorry," she vowed.

Hotch knew that already.


	3. Giving Her a Chance

CHAPTER 3

(Emily's POV)

Emily sat in the conference room, five minutes before the briefing was scheduled to start. Her foot jiggled in anticipation of her first meeting with the entire team. So far, she'd only met the sweet yet capable JJ and the… well. She wasn't sure yet what she thought of Hotch. At the very least, he was intimidating. She was still surprised that he had hired her, considering how adamant he was when they first met that she would not be working for him.

It also didn't help that tall, dark-haired, brooding men were exactly her type. Emily sighed.

The rest of the team soon gathered, made hasty introductions, and began to review a counterterrorism case. Emily quickly wowed them when she easily translated Arabic to English. Seeing their surprised stares, Emily flushed and explained, "I lived in several Middle Eastern countries growing up." She glanced at Hotch's face and saw a glimmer of respect and a hint of… what was that? Recognition? Understanding? The profiler in her told her that Hotch had also not had an easy childhood.

Emily had grown up all around the globe. She could speak or at least stumble along fairly well in seven languages. However, being an ambassador's daughter certainly had its disadvantages. Emily constantly felt smothered by the pressures of being the perfect diplomatic daughter at endless social events. She and her mother constantly fought, leading to Emily's rebellious streak that climaxed in Rome. Emily shuddered. She had made close friends in Italy, but the cost still haunted her. Her choice.

After the meeting, Emily was collecting items that she would need for the day ahead when she overheard Hotch speaking to Gideon. "I think you should take Prentiss with you," Hotch stated.

Emily continued to eavesdrop as Gideon argued against her joining him in Guantanamo. When Gideon said that she probably didn't have a go-bag, Emily quickly pulled hers out from under her desk. Both of the profilers glanced her way, so Emily avoided eye contact and tried to stay casual, although her heart was beating fast.

A minute later, Gideon rushed by her carrying his bag. "The car leaves in four minutes," he said grudgingly. Emily tried to contain her huge grin and glanced at Hotch again. He kept his face impassive, but Emily swore as he walked away that the corners of his mouth were upturned.

God, those dimples were adorable.


End file.
